Have Leftover Thanksgiving Cranberry Sauce? Drink It As A Cosmopolitan

Amidst a table full of buttery and herby side dishes sits the humble cranberry sauce. It's tart and gelatinous — a substance unlike any other beside it — and a beautiful deep red, reminiscent of the impending holiday season. Your Thanksgiving table wouldn't be complete without this staple that's perfect for palate cleansing and cutting through those rich flavors on your plate. It makes a great spread for your leftover sweet and savory club sandwich or as a cranberry breakfast topping, but if you're like us and you're always looking for a new use for the delightful side dish after the big dinner, look no further: One of the best ways to repurpose every last bit of leftover cranberry sauce is by using it as a sub for cranberry juice in a cosmopolitan cocktail.

A classic cosmopolitan typically features vodka, orange liqueur, cranberry juice, and lime juice. It's a simple and timeless drink that looks great in a sleek martini glass — and it always goes down easy. While store-bought cranberry juice is the usual way to go, if you've got even just 2 tablespoons of cranberry sauce left in your fridge, you have enough for an elevated cosmo. And before you ask, yes, you can do this with whatever type of cranberry sauce you've got, chunky or plain. The key to getting a smooth, sippable texture is a blender. You'll throw your cranberry sauce, vodka, orange liqueur, and lime juice into one, and then blend it up until it's combined. Then, to make sure it's extra smooth, you'll pour it through a sieve straight into your glass. Alternatively, add some ice into the blender along with the other ingredients for a fun frozen cranberry sauce cosmo.

The cosmopolitan cocktail is a gorgeous color to begin with, and is guaranteed to look festive as is or with only a simple sugar rim. However, if you want to go the extra mile, we've got some ways to amp up this recipe. If you've got a set of cocktail skewers and any leftover fresh cranberries, pop a few on the skewer like we did in our cranberry orange crush cocktail. If you're serving this drink to a crowd, you're guaranteed to impress everyone with this elegant garnish.

If that's not enough, add a sprig of rosemary or a twist of lime peel. Both of these green choices will add a layer of holiday cheer when paired with the cosmo's vibrant pinkish red. We also like adding orange peel to our cosmopolitan, both for color and for a more complex beverage. If you don't love the taste of vodka, the orange peel's aroma will help disguise the liquor's strength and bring a nice wintery citrus action to the drink. And if you don't want to wait until after Turkey Day to enjoy this cocktail, why not serve a cranberry sauce cosmo alongside Thanksgiving dessert? Your guests will thank you.